1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety and performance enhancement for use in connection with barbell weights. The safety barbell weight has particular utility in connection with increasing the safety and effectiveness of a free weight workout by promoting proper form during the workout, thereby reducing injuries suffered by individuals participating in weight training.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Personal weight training has recently gained in popularity with fitness enthusiasts. In addition, weight training is often incorporated into the workout regimen for various athletic endeavors. Free weights are typically loaded on a barbell prior to the commencement of an exercise. Various free weight exercises, such as curls, bench or military presses, rows, triceps, and extensions, are popular among fitness enthusiasts and athletes who are attempting to increase strength and muscle mass. Unfortunately, it is easy to perform many of these exercises incorrectly. Common errors, such as going too fast or making quick, jerky movements, reduce the benefit and effectiveness of the exercise and can cause injuries. Therefore, a barbell weight that could be easily mounted on a conventional barbell and provide an immediate feedback to the user when an exercise is performed incorrectly would not only alert the user to an incorrect form, allowing him to correct and maintain his form for the remainder of the workout set, but also reduce the likelihood that he will injure himself.
The use of safety weights is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,678 to Fredric O. Dawson discloses a dumbbell set with quick release plates that includes at least one dumbbell with a handle bar, a plurality of rectangular weight plates, a top plate to prevent the weights from falling off the handle bar, and a weight storage rack. The weight plates each have a slot and are stacked on the threaded stack and then tightened against the stop plate. However, the Dawson '678 patent does not provide a means by which the user is alerted when exercises are not performed correctly. Furthermore, the Dawson '678 device could not be used with existing weightlifting bars since it utilizes a specialized threaded shaft, necessitating the purchase of an entire new weight system. Finally, changing the weight plates of the Dawson '678 device requires the weightlifter to have sufficient hand strength to securely tighten and subsequently loosen a tightened disk at the end of the weight bar. If an individual failed to sufficiently tighten the weight plates against the stop plate, the weights could easily slip from the bar, and once tightened, the disk could be hard to loosen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,274 to E. Michael Mattox discloses a dumbbell assembly that includes a pair of cage receptacles rigidly secured to the ends of a weight bar for securing weight plates to the bar. One embodiment of the Mattox '274 device features a weight bar wherein springs force each of two platters toward one of the outer ends of the bar for the purpose of securing the weighted plates within each of the receptacles. A second embodiment of the Mattox '274 device includes a handle bar that is integrally molded or rigidly secured to the two-part caged receptacles which easily open for insertion or removal of weight plates. The two parts of each receptacle are secured by an elastomeric band. However, the Mattox '274 patent does not provide a mechanism for alerting the weightlifter when an exercise is being performed improperly. Additionally, the Mattox '274 device can not be used with existing weight bars and would require the increased cost of purchasing an entire weight system. Lastly, if the elastomeric band holding the weight plates of the Mattox '274 device were to break or slip due to improper placement, the user or nearby individuals could be injured.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,594 to David C. Hall discloses an exercising device that includes a weight bar having end portions with rectangular cross section, stop and partition disks mounted on these end sections to provide partitions of these sections, and weights which are fitted between these partitions. These weights have a special seating mechanism consisting of slots cut radially to the center of the weight and spring actuated grapples which hold the weights to the bar. However, the Hall '594 patent fails to provide a mechanism for alerting the weight lifter when an exercise is not performed correctly. Furthermore, the Hall '594 device requires the purchase of an entire weight system since it can not be used with either existing weights or an existing weight bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,810 to Scott H. Lee discloses a quick release collar for a weight lifting barbell that includes a collar body, an axially movable sleeve, and a plurality of radially movable balls frictionally engaged with the bar and positionally controlled by a tension ring. A coil spring biases the sleeve and tension ring toward a locked position in which the movable balls securely engage the bar. However, while the Lee '810 patent provides an easy release locking mechanism, it fails to provide a mechanism for alerting the user when a weight lifting exercise is performed incorrectly. Additionally, if the Lee '810 device were not properly engaged, the weight lifter or bystanders could be injured due to falling weights.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,826 to William C. Ryan discloses a safety apparatus for use with a barbell assembly that includes a support frame, a pair of cables securable to opposite ends, of the assembly, a winch assembly for retracting and releasing the cables, a pair of tension sensors, a velocity sensor, and a controller for the winch assembly. The controller is responsive to the velocity and tension sensors for normally releasing and retracting the cables during a weight lifting routine and for detecting an abnormal condition during an exercise and controlling the weight of the barbell assembly to reduce the risk of injury to the weightlifter. However, the Ryan '826 patent is limited in use to specific types of exercises, such as bench presses, where the weight is lifted straight up and down. In addition, the Ryan '826 device is complex and adds specialized equipment which would drive up the price for consumers. Finally, the Ryan '826 device is not easily portable; thus, an individual could not easily move the device to different weightlifting facilities.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,421 to Ronald S. Chrysler discloses a portable safety device for weight training that consists of a metal frame releasably mounted on a weight training bench for the purpose of protecting the user's head from a dropped weight during bench press exercises. However, the Chrysler '421 patent does not alert the weightlifter if an exercise is performed incorrectly. Furthermore, the Chrysler '421 device is suitable for use in only a limited number of weight lifting exercises. Finally, the Chrysler '421 device fails to provide a mechanism for securing the weights to the bar, leaving nearby individuals and the remainder of the user's body open to possible injury from falling weights.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a safety barbell weight that promotes proper form during the workout, thereby reducing injuries suffered by individuals participating in weight training. The Dawson '678, Mattox '274, Hall '594, Lee '810, and Chrysler '421 patents fail to provide a mechanism by which the weight lifter is alerted if an exercise is being performed improperly. Furthermore, the Dawson '678, Mattox '274, and Hall '594 devices can not be used with either existing weight bars or weights and require the user to invest in a completely new set of weight lifting equipment. Changing the weight plates of the Dawson '678 device requires the weightlifter to have sufficient hand strength to securely tighten and subsequently loosen a tightened disk at the end of the weight bar. If an individual failed to sufficiently tighten the weight plate of the Dawson '678 device, it could easily slip from the bar and injure the weight lifter or a bystander. In addition, failure to properly secure the elastomeric bands of the Mattox '274 bands or the Lee '810 collar could lead to injury from falling weights. Moreover, the Chrysler '421 patent fails to provide a mechanism for securing the weights to the bar, leaving nearby individuals and the remainder of the user's body open to possible injury from falling weights. Both the Ryan '826 and Chrysler '421 devices are suitable for use in only a limited number of weight lifting exercises. Finally, the Ryan '826 device is not easily portable and is complex with specialized equipment that would drive up the cost to the consumer.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved safety barbell weight that can be used with existing weight bars to provide an easily releasable weight that promotes proper form during the workout, thereby reducing injuries suffered by individuals participating in weight training. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the safety barbell weight according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of promoting proper form during weight training, thereby reducing injuries suffered by individuals participating in weight lifting exercises.